


Back-up Plans

by valtyr



Category: Marvel 616
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-16
Updated: 2010-06-16
Packaged: 2017-10-10 03:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/95134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valtyr/pseuds/valtyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has a back-up plan for everything. Even the dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back-up Plans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dorky (dorcas_gustine)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorcas_gustine/gifts).



"What are you doing?" said Steve, and Tony managed to repress a guilty leap. Breaking off the needle in the vein would be very bad.

"Taking a sample?" he said innocently, and pressed a cotton ball against Idiot's short fur as he withdrew the needle.

"Why are you taking a blood sample from the dog? He's not -" Steve stopped short and eyed Idiot suspiciously. Idiot stared back, tongue lolling.

"He's not a Skrull, he's not an LMD, I just - wanted a sample. Just in case." Tony began decanting the blood into the vials, then clicked his tongue disapprovingly as Steve picked up one of the vials. "You're not wearing gloves. Stop touching things." Steve looked at the lockbox he had ready, then at the dry-ice packed thermos that one of the vials was going to travel to the Baxter Building in.

"You're not -" Steve paused for a long moment. "Tony, please tell me you're not going to clone the dog."

"Well, not _now_," said Tony reasonably. "But having a pet die can be very traumatic for a child, and when Dani is older-"

"It's an important life lesson. It's part of the reason kids have pets."

"What's the point of raising a kid to believe death is inevitable? That's defeatist thinking."

"Tony -"

"Lots of parent replace dead hamsters before the kid can notice. This is just an expansion of the idea," Tony said soothingly. "I've taken an upload of Idiot's consciousness -"

"You've _what?_"

"And if anything unfortunate happens, we'll tell Danny Idiot's gone on holiday, and within two weeks we can have a replacement Idiot." Tony frowned. "In a few years, I'll be able to store a fully-grown Idiot cryogenically, ready to be defrosted and programmed, but we're not quite there yet."

Steve stared at him for a long time. Then he stalked over to the freezer and began tapping at the display.

"Hey-" Tony darted over, and Steve grabbed his hand and held it up to the fingerprint scanner. "What are you doing?"

"Checking." The freezer catalogue scrolled, and Steve sighed. "You need to pay attention to those data security classes, Tony. Project White Star? Project Sticky Freak? Project Salt Container? Project - who's Project Whackjob?"

"Sentry," said Tony, trying to nudge him away. "I haven't gotten an upload of his consciousness yet. I'm waiting until he's a little more stable."

"You have an upload of _my_ consciousness?" said Steve dangerously, and Tony waved a hand vaguely.

"A bit."

"A bit?"

"It's an old one."

"Uh huh." Steve rubbed his temples, and sighed. "Tony."

"Steve?"

"People are not computer files. You cannot back them up." Tony looked up at the ceiling, then down at the floor. When the conversation refused to go away, he looked at Steve.

"Fine. You can't back up people."

"Or dogs."

"You can definitely back up dogs."

There was a pause. Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony, who folded his arms.

"You know what? If this is for Dani's benefit, we should probably let Luke and Jess make the decision when the time comes." Never let it be said Steve couldn't compromise. Tony nodded.

"That seems perfectly reasonable." He frowned as Steve headed for the door, snapping his fingers for Idiot. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sure Idiot would like a run after being cooped up in your lab," said Steve innocently, "Right, Idiot?" Idiot wagged his tail and looked approving, and Steve smiled.

Jess would probably read the book of Pet Semetary, but Luke would definitely insist on seeing the movie. There was no way any zombie dog would get near _their_ kid.

Tony looked after him suspiciously, then turned to the computer. There had to be some movies where cloning worked out okay in the end, right?


End file.
